Inquest opens after West Brom fan dies at match against Sheffield Wednesday
He died after a "medical emergency" during the match last September.
Last updated 15th Jan 2025
An inquest has opened on Tuesday (14th January) into the death of Mark Townsend, who died after a "medical emergency" during a West Bromwich Albion football match.
The match took place against Sheffield Wednesday, at their stadium, on September 28 2024.
"It will not bring my brother back"
Since, his brother Steve Townsend, has been campaigning for an inquiry into what happened:
"There is a lot of questions I have. I am not sure I will get all the answers to those questions," he said.
An inquest opened on Tuesday (14th January), to figure out how Mark died.
"If there are 10 problems and the inquest changes 6 of those problems, it is a victory for me. It will not bring my brother back, but it will make it safer for people in future," he said.
"Your safety should be paramount"
He told us he was hoping the inquest would bring about change:
"No fan should go to a football match and not come back. Their safety should be paramount.
"That goes for whether you are a Manchester United fan with 70,000 spectators a week, or a Halesowen Town fan at 900 fans a week. Your safety should be paramount," he said.
Sheffield Wednesday have declined to comment, whilst the inquest is ongoing.